National Security Advisor Ajit Doval

NEW DELHI: NSA Ajit Doval chaired the 5th Meeting of Bimstec national security chiefs as the grouping that bridges South Asia and Southeast Asia discussed “practical and result-oriented” solutions to combat terrorism and organised crime, ensure security in the cyber, maritime and energy domains, enhance connectivity and tackle new and emerging threats.The security chiefs also endorsed a set of guiding principles on the conduct of maritime law enforcement agencies during interactions at sea. These principles are expected to outline reference points for increasing predictability and promoting safety during maritime engagements among member states, said India in a statement.Doval stressed the need for closer regional cooperation to tackle evolving security challenges, saying the current global landscape marked by conflicts, geopolitical uncertainties and technological disruptions requires Bimstec member states to work together and take “decisive action” for their mutual benefit.“We are meeting today in the backdrop of a challenging global landscape. We are witnessing conflicts and geopolitical uncertainties. We are also facing multi-domain security threats, amplified by rapid technological advancements. Disruptions in global supply chains have also resulted in economic hardship for all our countries,” said the NSA.“In this setting, there’s an urgent need for us to collaborate, take decisive actions for our mutual benefit, and find solutions to mutual discussions and deliberations to the vexed problems that we are all facing,” he added.Highlighting the significance of the Bay of Bengal grouping, Doval said Bimstec unites two of the world’s most dynamic regions and represents a population of 1.7 billion people, around 22% of the global population, with a combined GDP of nearly $5 trillion.“We are united by the Bay of Bengal, not just geographically, but also through deep civilisational and cultural legacies that have evolved over a millennium of shared history,” he said.